Office of International Programs | UNC Charlotte
Welcome from Assistant Provost for International Programs Dear Colleagues, On behalf of OIP, we are delighted to share another issue of our quarterly newsletter with you. This term OIP is involved in a number of exciting projects that contribute to unique crosscultural and comparative experiences including coordinating a record number of faculty-led spring break education abroad programs to destinations as diverse and far reaching as Costa Rica and Malawi. We are also hosting ELTI’s largest enrollment ever, so if you have the opportunity to pass through our floor in CHHS, you will no doubt encounter our ever-growing visiting student population. In addition, OIP is collaborating on a number of projects with the various colleges to advance their internationalization interests. As always, I note our campus’ increasing commitment to and ongoing support for providing our students, faculty, and staff opportunities to engage in dialogue and programming focused on our world’s interconnectedness. We remain extremely interested in deepening our cooperation with you on the projects you will read about on the following pages, and we look forward to your suggestions and recommendations in strengthening our campus’ “global perspectives.”
Spring 2012 Vol. 7 No. 3
Four UNC Charlotte Students Win Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Four UNC Charlotte undergraduate students are recipients of the national Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study abroad in programs worldwide. Oscar Garcia Menjivar, a double-major in international studies and Japanese, will study at Nihon University in Mishima, Japan. Jessica Rijos, a senior business major, will study at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies in Nagoya, Japan. Accounting major Nadir Bakhit will study at the American University in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Jessica Normand, anthropology major, will study at Universidade Federal de Minais Gerais in Brazil. This competitive national scholarship is awarded to U.S. undergraduate students to fund a study abroad experience, particularly in non-traditional destinations, while broadening the populations of students that study abroad by supporting traditionally under-represented participants including, but not limited to, students with financial need, community college students, students in under-represented fields, students with diverse ethnic backgrounds, and students with disabilities. The program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and is administered by the Institute of International Education. Each year at UNC Charlotte, approximately 500 students study abroad at over 100 universities in more than 50 countries. For the spring 2012 semester, 134 students will study abroad through short-term faculty-led programs or as part of semester or year-long programs. The top destinations include Germany, Costa Rica, China, Japan and the United Kingdom. For more information, contact the Office of Education Abroad at edabroad@uncc.edu or 704687-7747.